… warns miscreants and land grabbers
By Adebowale Simon
Community leaders in Igbesa, Ota local government area of Ogun State have commended the Ogun state government and the management of Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone, OGFTZ, for bringing development to their community while denouncing some member of the community for spreading false rumour about the Chinese investors.
In a communique signed by leaders of the community and made available to journalists in Abuja, they noted that since the siting of the Zone in Igbesa, about eight years ago, it has brought a lot of development and created employment opportunities for youths of the community.
They also noted that many youths in the community have gained hands-on training and skills from the over 30 factories currently operating in the Zone, while at the same time others have been sent to China for training by the Zone’s management.
On the controversy raised recently by some persons in the community over land acquired by the state government for the siting of the Zone, the community elders noted that those raising dust over the land are doing so for selfish reasons and lack a sense of history.
They said that the late Oba of Igbesa had in 2006 taken the Ogun state government to court over the land acquisition but observed that the court struck out the matter because it was statute barred as at the time the court action was instituted.
“The court action was filed on the 20th of March 2000, when the writ of summons was issued, which was 23 years after government acquisition and 11 years after the rights and titles has been extinguished by virtue of section 16 of the limitation law of Ogun state”.
In their views, the rulings of honourable Justice O.A Onafowokan of the Ogun State High Court of the 21st day of December 2006 in suit number: HCT/80/00, was clear on the matter.
“ as a community, we have since moved on and working hand in hand with the state government and the management of the Zone for the development of our community and wouldn’t want anyone or group to cause disaffection among us”
In the views of the elders, the status of the acquired land by the Ogun state government was a settled matter in law as far back as 2006 by virtue of the court judgement of 2006. They noted that the community as at then did not appeal the judgement and wondered why the matter was being resurrected by some individuals at this point in time, and trying to throw a peaceful community into needless crisis.
The statement further averred that, it was mischievous “to draw the Zone into this needless matter because as far as we know the Zone is only occupying the land duly allocated to it by the state government which has been declared as a Free Trade Zone by a Presidential Order, in any case, facts on grounds indicates that land grabbers have been criminally pulling down parts of the Zone’s parameter fencing and selling parts of their land to unsuspecting members of the public”
In their resolution, they pleaded with the state government and Federal Government to deal with trouble makers within their community noting that their actions are capable of scaring aware foreign investors. They assured the management of the Zone of the cooperation of the indigenes of the community whom they noted were the major beneficiaries of their presence.
The communique was jointly signed by Chief J.A. Igeoya, the Elero of Igbesa and chairman Adele Oba of Igbesa, (Chief in Council); Chief Ade Durojaye the Otumba Amona of Igbesa, (Path Finder) and Chief B. A. Obanla the Baajipe of Igbesa, and Chairman of Igbesa Central Community Dev. Ass. Others are, Chief S.A Obanla, the Gbabaniyi of Igbesa, Hon. Sunmola Arimitau Agoro, Chief Jolaogun T. Abiodun, the president of Igbesa Youth Assembly and Alhaji Kabiru. O
